NEWS: Change to UK planning law helps protect music venues!

March 15th, 2016

Music Venue Trust, a non-profit organisation set up in January 2014 to help protect the UK live music network, are reporting that a change in the UK planning law has been made which hugely benefits and helps to protect music venues from up and down the country. From April 6th 2016, planning authorities will be mandated to consider noise impact from existing businesses before altering the use of a nearby building.

You can read the full statement of the forthcoming changes posted by Music Venue Trust via their Facebook page detailed below:

“Today, UK Music, Music Venue Trust and Musicians’ Union welcome new Government legislation to protect music venues in planning law following a meeting with Ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government, alongside Minister for Culture Ed Vaizey MP.

From 6 April 2016, Local planning authorities will have to consider noise impacts on new residents from existing businesses under an amended permitted development right.

Permitted development rights have been extended in recent years and allow certain developments to take place without the need to go through the full planning system. The new regulations mean developers are now required to seek prior approval on noise impacts before a change of use from an office to residential building can be carried out. In short – you can’t change offices to flats any more if a music venue is nearby, developers will need to work with the local authority and the music venue to ensure that live music is protected.
Mark Davyd of Music Venue Trust said:

“We warmly welcome this breakthrough for the UK’s grassroots music venues. This common sense move by the government provides an opportunity for local authorities to use their powers to ensure that live music continues to play a vital economic, cultural and social role in our towns and cities. For music venues, this has never been about stopping development or preventing the creation of much needed new housing; it’s always been about ensuring that new development recognises the culture, economy and vibrancy of city centres by building great housing, enabling existing music venues and new residents to live in harmony. This is a major victory for the UK’s music venues and music fans. The fight to protect, secure and improve them goes on.”

Although these proposals don’t go as far as a full Agent of Change law for Music Venues, this is a huge breakthrough and it’s been achieved with your support. Together we can make the case for grassroots music venues; thanks so much to all of you that have supported us so far. Keep on keeping on.